Category: A Faith in Process

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings *** The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.Alden Nowlan *** The turning point in the process of…

The news of Your rich goodness is no secret—Your people love to recall itand sing songs of joy to celebrate Your righteousness.Psalm 145:7 The Voice *** Each day, awakening, are we asked to paint the sky blue? Need we coax the sun to rise or flowers to bloom? Need we teach birds to sing, or children to laugh, or…

Recently, I was gifted a shower curtain full of flowers and hummingbirds. All that color made my basic beige and blue scheme looked boring. Bright new towels helped, then I looked for something to hang on the wall. I found it at WalMart.com. “Filled … with … joy.” A phrase repeated over and over in…

by Elizabeth Cheney (1859) Said the Robin to the Sparrow,“I should really like to knowWhy these anxious human beingsRush about and worry so!” Said the Sparrow to the Robin,“Friend, I think that it must beThat they have no heavenly FatherSuch as cares for you and me!” *** “That is why I say to you, don’t…

“Look at that bird,” said Jenna. “There is something wrong with it.” The robin was in our garden, hunched and flopped over with its head at an odd angle. It was breathing, but not moving. I moved for a better look. “What should we do?” I had no idea. There’s a nature sanctuary not far…

I took advantage of a free half-hour this weekend to do a little light weeding. Starting in the back and working my way to the front, I was bending and pulling when I became aware of a noise overhead. A robin, perched on the side peak of the house next door, was scolding me loudly….

… About Stuff. Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.” Luke 12:15 Living Bible *** But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have…

“Our things are like roommates, except we pay their rent.” Fumio Sasaki *** I tried the Japanese method of decluttering where you hold every object that you own and if it doesn’t bring you joy, you throw it away.  So far I have thrown out all of the vegetables, the electric bill, the scale, a…

Time and space seem to go together. Seventeen years ago, I downsized from a 12-room house to a 4-room condo. Initially, boxes were piled everywhere, proof that I’d brought more stuff than I could house. It took me a year and a half to find everything a designated place, and that was after I donated…

I can’t think about aging without thinking about time. We think of time as past, present and future, but I think time is the links of life joining everything together in an unending chain of “now.” And we mostly don’t notice it is passing. Because we are unconscious of it, or because we are distracted?…